Association between Functional Polymorphisms of Foxp3 Gene and the Occurrence of Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion in a Chinese Han Population

Unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA) is an alloimmune disease associated with the failure of fetal-maternal immunologic tolerance in which the regulatory T lymphocytes (Treg) play a pivotal role. It is well known that Forkhead box P3 (Foxp3) is a crucial regulatory factor for the development and function of Treg cells. It has also been established that deficiency of the Foxp3 gene suppresses the regulatory function of Treg cells. To determine if functional polymorphisms at the Foxp3 loci are associated with URSA in humans, we genotyped four common polymorphisms of Foxp3 gene in 146 unrelated URSA patients and 112 healthy women. The results showed that rs3761548A/C and rs2232365A/G polymorphisms were significantly associated with URSA. Additionally, we found that the allelic distribution of rs5902434 del/ATT in URSA group was slightly different from that in the control group. We conclude that functional polymorphisms of the Foxp3 gene may confer an important susceptibility to URSA in the Chinese Han population, probably by altering Foxp3 function and/or its expression

An Intelligent Method for Detecting Surface Defects in Aluminium Profiles Based on the Improved YOLOv5 Algorithm

In response to problems such as low recognition rate, random distribution of defects and large-scale differences in the detection of surface defects of aluminum profiles by other state-of-the-art algorithms, this paper proposes an improved MS-YOLOv5 model based on the YOLOv5 algorithm. First, a PE-Neck structure is proposed to replace the neck part of the original algorithm in order to enhance the model’s ability to extract and locate defects at different scales. Secondly, a multi-streamnet is proposed as the first detection head of the algorithm to increase the model’s ability to identify distributed random defects. Meanwhile, to overcome the problem of inadequate industrial defect samples, the training set is enhanced by geometric variations and image-processing techniques. Experiments show that the proposed MS-YOLOv5 model has the best mean average precision (mAP) compared to the mainstream target-detection algorithm for detecting surface defects in aluminium profiles, whereas the average single image recognition time is within 19.1FPS, meeting the real-time requirements of industrial inspection

Anaerobic Metabolic Models For Phosphorus- And Glycogen-Accumulating Organisms With Mixed Acetic And Propionic Acids As Carbon Sources

With acetate or propionate as the sole carbon source, anaerobic metabolic models describing phosphorus- and glycogen-accumulating organisms (PAO and GAO) have been developed in the literature. However, comprehensive models are in need for the description of PAO and GAO behaviors with mixed acetic and propionic acids as carbon sources since they are the two main volatile fatty acids (VFA) that coexist in real wastewater. Two metabolic models were proposed to characterize the anaerobic stoichiometry of PAO and GAO, respectively, and two groups of sequencing batch reactors (i.e. 5 PAO-SBRs and 5 GAO-SBRs) with different propionic to acetic acid ratios were used for the validation of the models. The experimental data indicated that polyhydroxyalkanoates were synthesized via random condensation in GAO cells, whereas the semi-selective/semi-random pathway was used for the integration of acetyl-CoA and propionyl-CoA in PAO cells. When the VFA was pure acetic or propionic acid, the proposed PAO (or GAO) model reverted back to the reported acetate or propionate PAO (or GAO) model. Results also showed that the energy required for the transportation of 1 C-mol VFA across the membrane of both PAO and GAO cells was independent of the propionate/acetate ratio. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd

QTL mapping for the flag leaf-related traits using RILs derived from Trititrigia germplasm line SN304 and wheat cultivar Yannong15 in multiple environments

Abstract Background Developing and enriching genetic resources plays important role in the crop improvement. The flag leaf affects plant architecture and contributes to the grain yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The genetic improvement of flag leaf traits faces problems such as a limited genetic basis. Among the various genetic resources of wheat, Thinopyrum intermedium has been utilized as a valuable resource in genetic improvement due to its disease resistance, large spikes, large leaves, and multiple flowers. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was derived from common wheat Yannong15 and wheat-Th. intermedium introgression line SN304 was used to identify the quantitative trait loci (QTL) for flag leaf-related traits. Results QTL mapping was performed for flag leaf length (FLL), flag leaf width (FLW) and flag leaf area (FLA). A total of 77 QTLs were detected, and among these, 51 QTLs with positive alleles were contributed by SN304. Fourteen major QTLs for flag leaf traits were detected on chromosomes 2B, 3B, 4B, and 2D. Additionally, 28 QTLs and 8 QTLs for flag leaf-related traits were detected in low-phosphorus and drought environments, respectively. Based on major QTLs of positive alleles from SN304, we identified a pair of double-ended anchor primers mapped on chromosome 2B and amplified a specific band of Th. intermedium in SN304. Moreover, there was a major colocated QTL on chromosome 2B, called QFll/Flw/Fla-2B, which was delimited to a physical interval of approximately 2.9 Mb and contained 20 candidate genes. Through gene sequence and expression analysis, four candidate genes associated with flag leaf formation and growth in the QTL interval were identified. Conclusion These results promote the fine mapping of QFll/Flw/Fla-2B, which have pleiotropic effects, and will facilitate the identification of candidate genes for flag leaf-related traits. Additionally, this work provides a theoretical basis for the application of Th. intermedium in wheat breeding

Factors related with COVID-19 vaccination willingness among outpatients in China

Background COVID-19 vaccination has been accepted widely. However, there are only a few reports on patients’ willingness to be vaccinated. This study investigated the willingness of Chinese outpatients to accept COVID-19 vaccination as well as influencing factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Jiangsu province, China in December 2020. Self-administered questionnaires, which were distributed to 625 outpatients among secondary hospitals, addressed demographic characteristics, sociological characteristics, and subjective reasons. There were 522 (83.5%) participants who gave completely valid responses. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors for willingness of COVID-19 vaccination. Results 71.5% of participants were willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. “worried about contracting COVID-19” (49.6%) and “vaccines have just been introduced and need time to consider” (38.9%) were the main reasons for being willing and unwilling to receive COVID-19 vaccine, respectively. The logistic regression analysis showed that “vaccines are an effective way to prevent diseases” (OR = 5.07, 95%CI: 3.32–7.75), “the price you are willing to pay for non-free vaccines (yuan) (101–500 vs ≤100)″ (OR = 1.87, 95%CI: 1.16–3.02), “per capital monthly income(yuan) (>6000 vs ≤3000)”(OR = 2.13, 95%CI: 1.03–4.41), and “self- assessed health status (Good vs Bad)″ (OR = 1.71, 95%CI: 1.01–2.90) were the main risk factors for outpatients to be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions The willingness of Chinese outpatients to receive COVID-19 vaccine was not high. The government should do more to increase publicity of knowledge about COVID-19 vaccine thus increasing willingness to vaccinate, and provide free vaccine to eliminate the cost impact

Molecular cytogenetic identification of three rust-resistant wheat-Thinopyrum ponticum partial amphiploids

Abstract Background Thinopyrum ponticum (2n = 10× = 70, JSJSJSJSJJJJJJ) is an important wild perennial Triticeae species that has a unique gene pool with many desirable traits for common wheat. The partial amphiploids derived from wheat-Th. ponticum set up a bridge for transferring valuable genes from Th. ponticum into common wheat. Results In this study, genomic in situ hybridization (GISH), multicolor GISH (mcGISH) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to analyze the genomic constitution of SN0389, SN0398 and SN0406, three octoploid accessions with good resistance to rust. The results demonstrated that the three octoploids possessed 42 wheat chromosomes, while SN0389 contained 12 Th. ponticum chromosomes and SN0398 and SN0406 contained 14 Th. ponticum chromosomes. The genomic constitution of SN0389 was 42 W + 12JS, and for SN0398 and SN0406 it was 42 W + 12JS + 2 J. Chromosomal variation was found in chromosomes 1A, 3A, 6A, 2B, 5B, 6B, 7B, 1D and 5D of SN0389, SN0398 and SN0406 based on the FISH and McGISH pattern. A resistance evaluation showed that SN0389, SN0398 and SN0406 possessed good resistance to stripe and leaf rust at the seedling stage and adult-plant stage. Conclusions The results indicated that these wheat-Th. ponticum partial amphiploids are new resistant germplasms for wheat improvement

Detection of Ground Clutter from Weather Radar Using a Dual-Polarization and Dual-Scan Method

A novel dual-polarization and dual-scan (DPDS) classification algorithm is developed for clutter detection in weather radar observations. Two consecutive scans of dual-polarization radar echoes are jointly processed to estimate auto- and cross-correlation functions. Discriminants are then defined and estimated in order to separate clutter from weather based on their physical and statistical properties. An optimal Bayesian classifier is used to make a decision on clutter presence from the estimated discriminant functions. The DPDS algorithm is applied to the data collected with the KOUN polarimetric radar and compared with the existing detection methods. It is shown that the DPDS algorithm yields a higher probability of detection and lower false alarm rate in clutter detection

Global, regional, and national burdens of hypertensive heart disease from 1990 to 2019 ：A multilevel analysis based on the global burden of Disease Study 2019

Aim: This study aimed to describe the prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of hypertensive heart disease (HHD) at the global, regional, and national levels and analyze epidemiological trends. Method: We extracted global estimates of prevalence, deaths, and DALYs related to HHD in 204 countries and regions from the 2019 Global Burden of Diseases Study. Average annual percent change (AAPC) was calculated to represent temporal trends. Joinpoint regression models were used to analyze time trends from 1990 to 2019. Finally, the decomposition analysis showed the driving factors of burden changes. Results: From 1990 to 2019, the global prevalence of HHD cases increased by 138 %, reaching 18,598,025 cases (95 % uncertainty interval [UI]: 13,544,365–24,898,411). DALYs also rose by 154 %, reaching 21,508,002 (95 % UI, 16,400,051–23,899,879). The death rate increased to 14.95 (95 % UI, 11.11–16.52) per 100,000 people. Of the five sociodemographic index (SDI) regions, the prevalence rate related to HHD was the highest in the high-middle SDI region. In contrast, the death and DALY rate related to HHD were the highest in the middle SDI region. In other regions, the prevalence rate was the highest in East Asia (548.87 per 100,000 people; 95 % UI, 395.40–747.83), and the death rate was the highest in Central Europe (42.64 per 100,000 people; 95 % UI, 30.58–49.38). At the national level, the Cook Islands had the highest prevalence rate for HHD (703.08 per 100,000 people; 95 % UI, 532.87–920.72), Bulgaria had the highest death rate (75.08 per 100,000 people; 95 % UI, 46.38–92.81), and Afghanistan had the highest DALY rate (1374.12 per 100,000 people; 95 % UI, 467.17–2020.70). High body mass index, a diet high in sodium, alcohol use, lead exposure, high temperature, and low temperature were identified as risk factors for death and DALYs related to HHD in 2019. Aging and population growth were the major drivers of prevalence, death, and DALYs. Finally, over the past 30 years, the global age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) of HHD has significantly risen (AAPC = 0.21 %, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.17–0.24; P < 0.001), while the age-standardized deaths rate (ASDR) has shown significant declining trends (AAPC = −0.86 %, 95 % CI: 1.00 to −0.71; P < 0.001), and age-standardized DALY rates (AAPC = −1.08 %, 95 % CI: 1.23 to −0.93; P < 0.001). Conclusion: Despite a significant decline in the global ASDR and age-standardized DALY rate of HHD over the past 30 years, the ASPR continues to rise. The burden of HHD is more heavily skewed towards non-high-income economies. Active prevention, control of risk factors, and improvement of medical protection levels to address the disease burden caused by population growth and aging are needed

Survival times of HIV/AIDS in different AIDS Diagnostic and Treatment Guidelines from 2006 to 2020 in Liuzhou, China

Abstract Background To compare the survival rates of four timing of treatment initiation for people living with HIV/AIDS provided in China in 2006, 2011, 2015, and 2018, and to investigate the factors impacting survival time. Methods A people living with HIV/AIDS retrospective cohort study was in Liuzhou City from April 2006 to December 2020. The information was obtained from the National Comprehensive AIDS Prevention and Control Information System. Life tables and the Kaplan–Meier method were used to calculate participant survival rates and time. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to investigate the factors related to survival. Results 18,543 participants were included in this study. In four periods, the 1-year survival rates were 81%, 87%, 95%, and 95%. The 2-year survival rates were 76%, 85%, 93%, and 94%. The 3-year survival rates were 73%, 84%, 92%, and 94%. Results of multivariate Cox regression showed that sex, age of HIV diagnosis, ethnicity, household registration, occupation, marital status, the timing of treatment, education level, route of HIV transmission, whether receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), and the count of CD4+T cells at baseline (count of CD4+T cells at HIV diagnosis) were factors that are significantly correlated with mortality caused by HIV infection. Conclusions With the Guidelines updated from 2006 to 2020, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates of people living with HIV/AIDS in four periods tended to increase. The timing of treatment initiation of the updated edition of the AIDS Diagnostic and Treatment Guidelines (Guidelines) significantly prolonged the survival time of people living with HIV/AIDS

Constructing Amorphous‐Crystalline Interfacial Bifunctional Site Island‐Sea Synergy by Morphology Engineering Boosts Alkaline Seawater Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract The development of efficient and durable non‐precious hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts for scaling up alkaline water/seawater electrolysis is highly desirable but challenging. Amorphous‐crystalline (A‐C) heterostructures have garnered attention due to their unusual atomic arrangements at hetero‐interfaces, highly exposed active sites, and excellent stability. Here, a heterogeneous synthesis strategy for constructing A‐C non‐homogeneous interfacial centers of electrocatalysts on nanocages is presented. Isolated PdCo clusters on nanoscale islands in conjunction with Co3S4 A‐C, functioning as a bifunctional site “island‐sea” synergy, enable the dynamic confinement design of metal active atoms, resulting in excellent HER catalytic activity and durability. The hierarchical structure of hollow porous nanocages and nanoclusters, along with their large surface area and multi‐dimensional A‐C boundaries and defects, provides the catalyst with abundant active centers. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the combination of PdCo and Co3S4 regulates the redistribution of interface electrons effectively, promoting the sluggish water‐dissociation kinetics at the cluster Co sites. Additionally, PdCo‐Co3S4 heterostructure nanocages exhibit outstanding HER activity in alkaline seawater and long‐term stability for 100 h, which can be powered by commercial silicon solar cells. This finding significantly advances the development of alkaline seawater electrolysis for large‐scale hydrogen production